[1] M. Charles Nodier, in the “Quotidienne” for March 12, 1823.
[3] A small coin worth twelve and a half cents. The name is still in use in Louisiana.
[5] The Norwegian peasants build nests for the eider duck, surprise them while sitting on their young, and strip them of their down.
[6] The Odelsrecht was a singular law establishing a species of entail among the Norwegian peasantry. Any man who was compelled to part with his patrimony might prevent the purchaser from transferring it, by declaring every tenth year that he intended to buy it back.
[8] Bark bread, eaten by the poorer classes in Norway.
[9] Blood privilege, the right to have a hangman.
[11] The waters of Lake Sparbo are greatly used for tempering steel.
[12] Frederic III. was the victim of Borch, or Borrich, a Danish chemist, and more especially of Borri, a Milanese quack, who declared himself to be the favorite of the Archangel Michael. This impostor, after startling Strasburg and Amsterdam with his pretended miracles, increased the sphere of his ambition and the boldness of his lies; having deceived the people, he ventured to deceive kings. He began with Queen Christina at Hamburg, and ended with King Frederic at Copenhagen.
[13] The dogfish are greatly dreaded by fishermen, because they frighten other fish.
[14] The ancient aristocracy of Norway, before Griffenfeld established a regular order of nobility, were entitled “hersa” (baron) or “jarl” (count). The English word “earl” is derived from the latter.